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"Why am I always thirsty?"

Question

I'm a 36 year old female. For the past 10 years or so I always seem very thirsty. I actually panic if I'm out and have nothing to drink and so I won't go anywhere without a bottle of water. I've been tested for diabetes and the results were negative. Are there any other conditions that could cause thirst and should I get re-tested for diabetes?

Answer

Whenever dealing with excessive thirst it is important always to make sure there is not a serious medical problem going on. Diabetes is obviously the most common medical cause of excessive thirst, but there are others as well including something called diabetes insipidus. Also certain medications can cause an excessive dry mouth and feeling of thirst. Therefore, it is worth talking to your primary care doctor about this problem. They may retest you for diabetes as well as look for other signs of some imbalance in your blood or urine with some other basic laboratory tests. They will also review your list of medications to make sure there are no obvious offenders.
If all of this checks out normal, then it is unlikely that you have a medical cause for your thirst. However, the thirst mechanism is also heavily affected by anxiety and emotional state. As you yourself have noticed, not having a drink at hand can make you feel panicked. Therefore, if there is no medical cause driving the thirst, you may need to talk to a psychiatrist about how to reduce your anxiety symptoms. This can be important because excessive water intake can be dangerous as it can cause an imbalance in your blood chemistry.

Zocdoc Answers is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc’s Terms of Service.

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Zocdoc Answers is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc’s Terms of Service.